Fishing with Tinboat.....miss ya buddy

Waking up yesterday and hearing about the passing of Tinboat just tore me up. The man was a good friend that I talked to almost daily on the board and a few times on the phone. He invited me to Virginia to fish with him and then to Arkansas to fish but sadly I never made it to either place.

I met him at Chatt gathering in 2004. It was my first BOC gathering and he was one of the first to introduce himself to me and my little brother. We sat and talked for a while and enjoyed a few meals around the campfire. He loved that Hard Salami I took that year and asked me to bring him some to the National this year, of course he got a couple pounds of it and said his dogs mouth was watering watching him eat it. lol

Saturday night at the National we were sitting around talking after eating at CoonX and Catgirls site and he just said how much he loved the BOC and what it is all about. He said he appreciated how everyone was like family and how much he truely felt loved. Tears came down both our faces with some personal talk and it really hurts to hear he is gone. Ol buddy we love ya.

He loved his dogs and his friends here. We all knew his health was bad but ya never want to think about the worst. I know he is better off as it was hard for Tin to get around. I just want to share a fishing story that we talked about many times in chat room and a few times at the National, he loved sharing this story with everyone. We laughed about it many times.

It was Chattanooga Gathering 2004 when I first met ol Tinboat. We talked when I first arrived and he said he had a spot on his pontoon for little brother and myself if we wanted to go out. Of course we took him up on that offer and waited until after lunch to head out. We went out with no luck fishing for a few hours and came back in for supper.

He said he wanted to go back out and try it again, of course I could not turn him down. It was Tin, myself, little brother, and his buddy Ray from Virginia. We went out and tried to find a spot. Well, we got around this island and anchored and had no luck. Not even a run, we did see some "activity" from a couple adults on the island and we laughed it up.

We moved to a channel a few hours later and anchored again. No luck again for a few hours, by this time it was probably 2am and we were getting ready to head in. Myself and little brother were going on about 2 hours of sleep in the last 40 and it was hard to keep the eyes open.

About that time I woke up to hear little brothers open face just a singing a purdy song. Tin and I were yelling at him to wake up. Finially he got up and yanked as hard as he could to set the hook, 4 or 5 times. Well, it is not easy to set the hook when you dont pull the rod out of the rod holder. LOL We were laughing hysterically at this point. Finially he got the rod out and yanked again, well, he loosed the bail and no luck there either. We were all laughing hard at little brother. Finially he got his first Bluecat ever. A nice 14lb blue.

About an hour later I got my first bluecat also. A 17lb fish. Not gonna win any records but you could see the look in Tins eyes how happy he was to put us on our first Bluecats.

We joked about this alot over the last 3 years and he said his boat came 3 foot out of the water that night. lol

Ol buddy the BOC misses ya and we'll all see ya again someday. Take care good buddy.

Here are some pics from Chatt in 04 and the National this year of Tinboat.

I can tell by your post that you have truly lost a good friend! My brother I only wish I could have known him. Thank you for sharing your memories and your pictures.Something tells me Tin would be proud that you held him in such high esteem! May he rest in Peace!:smile2:

I remember you guys talking of that trip. Sure wish I coulda been there to see it. I know Dennis was very happy to put you on your first blue. Just think, he is up there with SciFi, JPB, and Phillip, lookin down smilin at all of us. Walking along with no pain, and catching a mess of cats.

I was like Bill ,Tea I couldn't place him either,until I saw the pictures. Thank you for jogging my memory. Thank you for sharing that story and those great pictures. GOD BLESS YOU you are a true Brother, an tin boat will be greatly missed by all :sad2: ,even though a lot of us never got to meet him.:sad2: